Weekend Fun, and Whats for dinner!

 

Even with the weather being as topsy turvy and less than certain, Bill and I managed to get out and enjoy a nice ride and a little bit of nature. 

   It is February so there is very little to see in the way of foliage and flowers. In fact the world seems a little on the grey side right now. That may be why I like snow so much, it brightens things up and after the storm the blue skies and fluffy clouds and bright sunshine is a sight I love to behold. Our day out however was gray with the threat of snow and rain. The dreariness of the day didn't stop us though, we all piled in the car, 

  BowD too and off we headed to our favorite spot. The Edwin B Forsythe Wild Life Refuge.

   It doesn't matter when you go there is alway something to see. Even in the dead of winter.  

Forsythe Refuge 

 We always do the 8 mile drive around the bay, and this time was no different. 

  We ride walk and ride our way around looking, watching and often being completely amazed  at the wild life and the antics they get up too. 

    Snow geese, a few different types of ducks, Canadian geese, and sea gulls seem to be common guest of the refuge every winter, and they were all there on this trip. I think we got there at lunch time because  every bird there looked like they were bobbing for apples, with their heads constantly dipping into the water.

   I was watching this one duck, and I swear he was chasing a fish, head down under the water he was swimming so fast it was like a bull charging a red flag, there was a water trail behind him a mile long, and he looked like he was competing in a speed race.

  The Blue Herons were fighting over prime fishing area. In the end they both flew away. After yelling at each other and bouncing on one another and enjoying a good chase, they both left, first the loser of the argument and then seconds later the winner flew off like that area was no longer a good enough spot for lunch.

    Atlantic City always looks so pretty sitting across the bay, it is a favorite site for me. Some of the buildings have an old vintage look to them, while others are screaming modern young new on the beach. The blend is odd but it works. I love that I got a walker enjoying the bay on a windy chilly day, in my shots. You gotta squint but the little red dot is a person walking.

   So many breeds of ducks, I have no idea what most of them are, I enjoy watching them for sure. They seem to stay in groups and in their own space. I notice in pictures I have taken from other years, that I have photographed the same types of ducks in the same areas, each time. Almost like they have neighborhoods.

Photo by Bill Klimkowski 

   Snow geese are so cool to watch. You rarely see just one on their own, they are always in large groups, when they are sitting or flying.

   Of all the birds we watched, the snow geese with their large groups and constant movement caught BowD's attention the most. Given the chance he would have jumped out of the car to play with the geese.

  I found one more reason to love snow geese, as if I needed another reason, but this little one won my heart. There is always one that swims to their own beat, and I can relate.

    Seagulls, what can I say I can't get away from them. 

   Truthfully, I don't really want to. Like ducks there are so many breeds and one is more beautiful than the other. 

   Watching a few of them playing their version of king of the hill as they sit in total comfort on the Osprey nests is funny to see.

  The Osprey will soon be returning but for now the Gulls are making themselves comfortable. 

   I was watching a small group of gulls, two of them were screaming and flapping their wings feathers all plumped up, their anger seemed to be aimed at the third bird. 

   At first I thought the bird was threatening a nest, nope, nothing as sinister as that. It was a mound of muscles that they didn't want to share. 

     Bill and I love watching the Gulls open the muscle shells. They get so high in the sky and let the muscle drop, then they swoop down and finish prying open their treasure, or they grab the muscle again and flying back up and give it another drop. 

   Always right in the middle of the road, and always with a look towards the cars waiting to pass as if to say, " Hey I'm eating here".

   Whats For Dinner;

                Not muscles, raw or otherwise.  

 Once again I have no pictures. To be fair we couldn't help it. It was that good. I made two breast knowing one would be leftover and I could photograph it the next day. On our ride Bill tells me what a great sandwich he had for breakfast, with my leftover chicken.  I was speechless,( not really) I actually let out a long Nooooo while holding my head. I told him that was my Monday blog. He gave me a sheepish little grin and said I didn't know, but it really was good. Then he said there was a half left that would work for the pictures. Once home and after relaxing for a bit, I decide I am hungry even though we had lunch out. Yep! you know it, there went the other half of the chicken and my photos. I do have recipe link, and I give this recipe ten yes ten stars.

   I followed the recipe almost to the tee. I used a meat hammer and banged out my breast a little to help make them tender. My ham was leftover ham from Christmas that I had frozen , Always so much better than lunch meat. I was happy to find it in the freezer. I used the mustard/ mayo method but didn't pre toast my bread crumbs, and I used regular bread crumps not panko. I used the left over mayo/mustard mix in the sauce and used a cheddar blend instead of the parm. Bill liked the sauce as much as the chicken.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

      So much easier than I thought to prepare and so dang good.  In less than an hour from stat to finish I had made what both Bill and I considered a gourmet meal. Bill came in the kitchen and said "What no potatoes", I said we don't need them, and I was right. The Zucchini was just enough to add to the meal without over shadowing the chicken, and when we were done we were both happy and stuffed. Happy Valentines Day to both of us.

   PS, click the original recipe link on the " Copy me that page" it will take you to the complete recipe. I have everything you need to make the recipe on Copy Me that, but the way the recipe was posted, copy me that wasn't able to grab the recipe completely.  

  

                                              See you next time!